8 February 2005 -- Representatives of Iran and the European Union are due today to hold further negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.

The talks in Geneva, Switzerland, will be the third round since the process began in December.

The EU, led by Great Britain, France, and Germany, is seeking to persuade Iran to permanently halt sensitive nuclear work, such as uranium enrichment, which could be used for atomic weapons, in exchange for economic and other benefits.

Great Britain, France, and Germany say nothing short of a full cessation of such efforts will give the three countries the objective guarantees they need to believe that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful.

Iran has embraced a temporary freeze, but says it has the right to conduct peaceful enrichment activities.

Iran denies U.S. allegations that it is secretly trying to make nuclear weapons.